In a significant milestone for Wharton’s influence on Africa’s venture ecosystem, Anna Tolulope Ogundipe, a Wharton MBA and International Development veteran, has concluded her one-year term as the Harambeans Prosperity Fund Fellow, marking the start of what appears to be a Wharton takeover of one of the continent’s most prestigious entrepreneurial fellowships.
The Harambeans Prosperity Fund Fellowship offers current MBA students and recent graduates a unique opportunity akin to a placement at a leading venture capital firm. Fellows are entrusted with managing the deployment of the Prosperity Fund into high-potential African startups, gaining direct exposure to portfolio support and ecosystem strategy. Operating at the nexus of venture investing and frontier-market innovation, Fellows work closely with top founders and investors, developing the insight, network, and judgment expected of rising stars in global VC.
OGUNDIPE’S IMPACT: INSIGHT MEETS ACTION
Reflecting on her tenure, Ogundipe remarked:
“Managing the Prosperity Fund gave me a front-row seat to Africa’s evolving startup and investment landscape… This experience sharpened my understanding of the unique challenges and immense opportunities that African startups face.”
Before Wharton, Ogundipe deployed clean energy capital at Deloitte, advised fintechs in Vietnam, and helped design climate-resilient investment strategies in the Caribbean. At Wharton, she interned with Quona Capital and launched a pro bono initiative to coach early-stage African startups on funding and growth.
She also founded Anatole Advisory, a platform supporting pre-seed and seed-stage ventures, an effort rooted in her family’s entrepreneurial struggles.
Ogundipe capped her fellowship with a high-profile reception at Harvard University, where students from Harvard, MIT, global investors, and advisors like Stedman Graham welcomed the incoming class of Harambeans, highlighting the global prestige of the network.
Her blend of international finance, operational rigor, and personal conviction made her one of the most impactful Fellows to date.
A WHARTON ERA EMERGES
Anna Ogundipe’s appointment marked Wharton’s first foray into leadership of the Fellowship, long dominated by graduates of rival programs like Harvard Business School. But Wharton’s win didn’t end there. Her successor, Lyncy Nyandoche, a dual-degree MBA/MA student at Wharton and Lauder, will now take up the mantle, extending Wharton’s presence at the top of African venture investing for a second year.
Nyandoche brings her own high-caliber background, with experience at Amex Ventures, community building within VC networks, and a strong focus on fintech, consumer, and emerging markets. Her appointment is not only a continuation of momentum, it’s confirmation of a broader shift in institutional leadership.